Timey Wimey Travel
by VibeQuake
Summary: Gifted child Lily is given up by her parents to be raised by Vinnie Dakota and Balthazar Cavendish. Not even a year later, the wife of the original Murphy, the creator of Murphy's Law, is accidentally transported to the present, where Cavendish does all he can to make sure she doesn't cause any paradoxes. But what he fails to take into consideration is...love.
1. Chapter 1

Hearing the crying of a baby is normally annoying, but when it's the first cries a baby has made, it sounds beautiful.

It certainly sounded beautiful to Marvin, who was anxiously pacing up and down outside the hospital room his wife was in. He froze as he heard the crying, his heart both leaping and dancing at the sound. His face melted into the biggest smile it had ever held, and his hands automatically flew to his face, his fingers covering his mouth.

A few minutes later, his old friend Doctor John Hopwood came out of the room. Catching sight of Marvin, his tired face spread into a smile. "Mother and baby are healthy."

Marvin exhaled deeply in relief. "Thanks, John. What…What do we have?"

John grinned. "Why don't you go in and see?"

Marvin blinked. "Really? I can?"

"Why not?"

"Well…" As Marvin hesitated, a lightbulb above them suddenly blew, causing the lights in the entire ward to go out. Luckily, there was enough light coming in through the windows that it wasn't dark. "That's why not."

John grimaced. "We have removed everything that could potentially be dangerous, so apart from the floor, ceiling, or windows, I don't think anything will be able to hurt you or Steph."

"Or the baby?" Marvin asked anxiously.

John smiled. "Or the baby. Go on, Marvin. We've all been round you long enough that we can handle whatever is thrown our way."

Marvin beamed and hugged his friend. "Thank you, John."

John patted Marvin on the back as the latter headed into the room, shutting the door behind him.

There was nobody inside the room apart from his wife, Stephanie Steele, who was lying on the bed, cradling a bundle in her arms. Her short silver hair was covering her face, but Marvin could see that she was smiling broadly. He knew her green eyes would be full of love, and also disbelief that SHE had made this little creature in her arms.

Well, her and one other person.

Beaming, Marvin stepped forwards. "Steph?"

Stephanie looked up sharply. Spotting Marvin, her face melted. "Marvin."

"How are you feeling?"

" _So_ tired," sighed Stephanie. She looked back down at the baby in her arms. "But this little bundle of joy is a million percent worth it."

Marvin could feel his eyes watering as he came to stand at the side of the bed. "Do we have a son or a daughter?"

Stephanie smiled and tilted the bundle so that Marvin could see the tiny face of his newborn child. She moved the fabric slightly, and Marvin saw that the baby was dressed in a tiny pink onesie.

His breath caught in his throat but he managed to croak, "A girl?"

Stephanie nodded, tears of happiness leaking out of her eyes. "A daughter."

"What should we name her?"

Stephanie blinked, thinking for a moment. "Didn't we decide on a flower name if it was a girl?"

Marvin nodded, wiping his eyes. "Rose or Lily or something like that."

"Lily," Stephanie echoed. "To match her pale-ish skin."

Marvin laughed. "It's not THAT pale. But I do love the name Lily. So we'll call her that."

Stephanie beamed. "Lily. I love it."

Marvin sighed happily. "I wish Vinnie and Bal could have been here to see this."

Stephanie smirked. "They're probably having a grand old time protecting pistachios in 2017."

"Remember when WE went there?" Marvin smiled wistfully. "We met some pretty interesting people."

"I'd love to see that Milo kid again," Stephanie said. "He was very interesting. He reminded me of you, you know. Optimistic, adventurous, compassionate."

Marvin blinked and ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, I guess."

All of a sudden, Lily disappeared from Stephanie's arms.

She let out a shriek and dropped the empty blanket. "MARVIN?!"

Marvin leapt a foot backwards. "What?!"

He spun round and spotted the baby lying on top of the filing cabinet in the corner. Marvin went towards it but then scrambled backwards. "Steph, you get her!"

Stephanie struggled to get out of bed. "Why me?"

"Because if I do it, the filing cabinet will probably break or tip over!" Marvin snapped back. "I don't want Lily to hurt herself!"

Stephanie managed to get off the bed, and staggered over to the filing cabinet. Reaching up, she managed to lift Lily off the top of it and into her arms. "What happened there, little one?" she murmured.

Lily cooed in answer.

"That…wasn't me," Marvin said, stepping towards his family. "That's wasn't…you-know-what."

Marvin didn't like saying the name of his curse out loud, so whenever he referred to it as "you-know-what", anyone who knew him understood exactly what he meant. He believed that mentioning the name out loud made everything worse.

"I know." Stephanie sucked in a breath. "Somehow, it wasn't you. And ML only passes from father to son, so…Lily can't have it."

There was a knock at the door. Frowning, Marvin went over to it and opened it. Outside stood a red-haired woman of about thirty years of age. She was wearing a white lab technician's coat. Marvin recognised her immediately. "Clarissa, is everything okay?"

Clarissa moved into the room, past Marvin, who closed the door behind them. Spotting Stephanie and Lily on the bed, she went and sat down next to them.

"Hey, Clarissa." Stephanie smiled. "Meet Lily."

Clarissa smiled back, but hers was a weaker smile. "John sent me," she said hesitantly. "He took a genetic sample from the baby just after it was born. There was some…abnormal results."

"A-Abnormal?" repeated Marvin nervously.

"A mutation of some kind," Clarissa clarified. "Has Lily displayed any kind of unusual abilities? I understand it's only been an hour since she was born, but-."

"She teleported," Stephanie interrupted. "One moment she was in my arms over here, the next she was on top of that filing cabinet." She pointed at the cabinet in question.

Clarissa frowned.

"It's not…you-know-what, is it?" Marvin asked nervously.

Clarissa shook her head. "No. This is a mutation in her DNA."

"So…these abilities…" Stephanie hesitated. "She'll have these forever?"

"I'm afraid so," Clarissa said reluctantly. "But the good news is that it's not a strong mutation, so there'll be no chance of anything major happening."

"What if we encourage these abilities?" asked Stephanie. "Cause them to grow?"

"Then…they MAY grow into something major. I don't really know, sorry. But I think it's best that the abilities are NOT encouraged to grow."

Marvin and Stephanie nodded at each other.

"I'll leave you two some time to talk over what you want to do now," Clarissa said, standing up. "I'll be outside."

She left the room.

Marvin had tears in his eyes, just as he had a few minutes earlier, but these were not tears of joy. "S-Steph…we have to send her away."

Stephanie stared at him. "What?!"

"We can send her to live with Vinnie and Balthazar," offered Marvin. "They will be more than happy to-."

 _"_ _WHY?!"_ demanded Stephanie.

"If word of this gets out, we might have some of our old enemies trying to use her against us!" Marvin cleared his throat. "More specifically…Maisy."

Stephanie squeezed her eyes shut, imagining the devastation that would be caused if Marvin's younger sister got her hands on Lily and encouraged her abilities.

"We need to make sure nobody knows about her abilities. I'll tell the Hopwoods to keep quiet about this. If word gets out, Lily will be in danger."

Stephanie let out a sob. "I-I can't leave my baby, Marvin!"

Marvin felt his heart break. His chest and throat were stinging. But he knew this was the best course of action. "Steph, trust me, this isn't any easier on me than it is you. But we have to make Lily's safety our top priority."

"But you're talking about her growing up away from us!" Stephanie cried. "We wouldn't get to hear her first word, see her first steps, teach her how to ride a bike…"

"I-I know, Steph-."

"It'd be like she isn't even our daughter at all!" Stephanie buried her head in the blankets covering Lily and stared crying.

Marvin felt his own eyes begin to leak as he went over to his wife and hugged her tightly. "I know, Steph. I know. And it'll be hard. But we have to consider Lily's safety. And she just won't be safe with us."

"It's not fair," whimpered Stephanie. "It…It's not fair…" She kissed Lily's forehead over and over again. "I love you, Lily. I do. I will always love you."

"So will I." Marvin's voice broke but he took Lily's tiny hand and held it as tightly as he dared. He stroked her cheek with his finger, chuckling weakly as Lily reached out, took the finger, and stuck it in her mouth. "I love you, Lily."

Clarissa suddenly came back into the room, looking slightly bemused by the two crying adults. "D-Did you decide something?"

"Could…Could you take Lily, please?" Marvin croaked. "We need you to take her to Dakota and Cavendish."

Clarissa blinked. "Are you making the right decision?"

"We are," Marvin replied simply.

Clarissa slowly nodded and moved forwards. She reached out and started gently pulling Lily out of Stephanie's grasp. Stephanie cried out and struggled weakly, but Marvin put his hand on her shoulder, and she was forced to let her daughter go.

Then Lily began crying, sensing that she was away from her mother. Clarissa tried to sooth Lily by rocking her, but the newborn's cries only increased in volume.

This was agony to Stephanie, who buried her head in Marvin's shirt and started sobbing uncontrollably. Marvin also began crying as he clutched his wife tightly, both of them leaning back in the bed.

"I'm so sorry, Lily," Marvin whispered.

 _Forgive me._


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: This chapter was co-written by myself and Mythicalnightguard.**

 **...**

Helen Murphy wished everyone would just leave her alone. She was sick of complete strangers coming up to her and offering her their condolences. It was nice at first, but now it was annoying. No amount of condolences would ever bring her husband back to life. She did not even know half of these people, nor had her husband. If they were friends of theirs, or at the least, colleagues, then she might have felt differently. But these people were no more than townsfolk.

She sighed as it began to rain. Of course. It always seemed to rain at funerals, simply adding to the gloomy mood. There was…also the fact that her husband had loved the rain. It was something that he, unlike many people, saw as a sign of good fortune. For him, it had symbolised a release of emotions, which he believed was healthier than keeping everything he felt inside.

Helen couldn't wait to get home so she could openly cry for her husband. She couldn't break down in front of all these people because if she did, she'd never stop. And the last thing she wanted was publicity. Her husband had been famous enough—that was probably why all of these strangers came to speak to her. But if she cried, they would never leave her alone. Her grieving face would be in the papers, and she would take the focus off of what really mattered: her husband's memory.

 _Oh, Edward…_

She bowed her head, feeling tears prick the corners of her eyes. She really wished she hadn't outlived him. She wished she hadn't had to have felt the pain that came with losing her husband. But then, how could she wish her husband the same pain? This inner turmoil was almost killing poor Helen.

With a sigh, she turned away from the graveyard and made her way down to the street. But before she could leave the cemetery, she heard a loud noise coming from behind her. Helen startled at the noise, whirling around to see what could have possibly made it.

Helen blinked. This could not be. Two men just…appearing out of nowhere? It must be the grief. It was making her see things.

And yet…they _had_ just come from nowhere.

Dakota blinked, glancing at his feet. He nudged Cavendish. "Hey…were we…supposed to end up in a graveyard?"

"No," Cavendish said slowly, staring at the time travel device in his hand.

"Well…hate to break it to you, but…here we are."

"Is this 1923, at least?"

Dakota glanced around, his eyes landing on the just-less-than modern surroundings. "No…"

Cavendish sighed. "Great."

Helen stared at them, her heart racing in her chest. Who were these people? She cautiously approached them. "Excuse me?"

The two men froze.

Their positions were almost comical, but Helen narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me, you are standing on my husband's grave."

"Oh!" Cavendish gasped awkwardly. "This was YOUR husband's grave? My bad."

Helen's eyes narrowed even more, and she shoved both men, hard, causing them to fall right off the grave. "You were not moving fast enough," she told them sternly. "What right do you think you have to come and tread on people's graves?"

"Sorry, ma'am," Dakota said quickly, raising his hands. "We didn't mean any harm."

Helen crossed her arms. "Exactly what are you doing in the middle of the graveyard, dressed so oddly?"

Dakota elbowed Cavendish, inviting him to speak. He had no idea what to say.

Helen scowled. "Nevermind. It is none of my business. But should I see you anywhere near my husband's grave again, I will use you to demonstrate how car accidents are started. Is that clear?"

Dakota and Cavendish nodded and backed away.

"Sorry, miss." Cavendish said quickly. "Uh…my apologies for your loss."

Helen bit her lip and stared down at the ground. Dizziness overwhelming her, she gripped the headstone of Edward's grave.

"Are...you okay ma'am?" Dakota asked, stepping forward.

Helen inhaled shakily. "J-Just momentary...sickness, is all."

"Do you...want some help?" Dakota asked quietly.

"I..." Helen shook her head firmly. "Just leave me alone."

"Well...you look like you need some help," Dakota said gently.

"I've just lost my husband!" Helen snapped at them suddenly. "All I want is to be alone!"

"Maybe we should leave her alone," Dakota suggested to Cavendish.

Cavendish nodded and took out his time travel device. But before he could activate it, Dakota accidentally stumbled into him, causing him to drop the device on the ground, which activated it.

Cavendish swore. "Dakota, look what you've done!"

Before Dakota could say anything back, a white light engulfed them.

Helen gasped out in surprise. Everything swished by her so fast, she thought she was falling- or flying. Maybe she had just lost it. When she became properly aware of her surroundings again, she stumbled, as if she really HAD fallen and landed. She fell over onto her back.

Dakota leaned over the mysterious woman, waving his friend in front of her face. "I think she hit her head," He commented.

Cavendish's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "YOU MEAN TO TELL ME SHE CAME WITH US?!"

Dakota shrugged. "It looks like it."

Cavendish almost fainted. "BUT WE CAME TO HER FUTURE!" he yelled. "OUR PRESENT! SHE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO SEE THIS!"

"See…what…?" Helen mumbled, blinking her eyes open and closed.

Cavendish panicked.

"Don't panic, man," Dakota said quickly. "We can fix it."

"How?!"

"Simple." Dakota grinned. "We always fix these problems"

Cavendish glared at him. "Go on, then, if you're so smart."

"Well-"

"What problem?" Helen demanded, shakily rising to her feet. "Me problem?"

She lifted her hand and slapped Dakota round the face. "I am not a problem!" she snapped. "I am a human being, and I would advise you treat me as such!"

Dakota stumbled back into Cavendish.

Cavendish glared at the woman. Who did she think she was? "Look, if you want to go home again, you'd best cooperate."

Helen got right up in his face, causing him to step back a little. "You had best change that tone of yours, young man, before I slap you too!"

Cavendish continued to glare right back at her. "Come now, woman, you don't frighten me."

So Helen slapped him too, then kneed him in the sensitive area.

Dakota winced.

"You should learn to speak to ladies with more respect!" Helen snapped.

Cavendish gasped, curled up on the ground from the blow. Breathing through his teeth, he spat, "Just…tried to help…"

"Then you should first learn to help yourself!" Helen put her fists on her hips. "By treating women with more respect! And don't you dare come near me!" she added, stabbing her finger at Dakota, who had stepped towards her.

"Look," Cavendish growled as he staggered to his feet. "You're stuck in the wrong time, miss, and if you don't accept my help, you'll be stuck here."

Helen just glared at Cavendish and bolted.

Cavendish growled and made to take a step forward, but his sensitive parts had not yet recovered. "Dakota, after her!"

Dakota saluted him and took off in pursuit of Helen.

Cavendish sighed. The salute had not been necessary. He hobbled after them as quickly as he could.


	3. Chapter 3

"Miss! Please slow down!" Dakota shouted as he ran after the fleeing woman. "I'm not…as fit…as I used to be…!"

Helen smirked as she ran to make her way out of the building she was in. She wasn't sure what she was expecting when she burst out into the street…

…but it wasn't this.

She was immediately flashed by lit-up advertisement signs, honking cars, flashing streetlights, smelly air, and questionable looking puddles of liquid on the sidewalks. Capitalist slogans and propaganda flashed around her, buildings made of metal and brick, barely a shrub in sight. Definitely not her quiet little town.

She covered her mouth with her hands, the loud noises and bright lights overwhelming her.

Dakota caught up with her, but did not attempt to approach her. He watched her reaction, inwardly wincing. This was why past people never came to the future. They were always disappointed.

"It's awful, isn't it?" Dakota asked, stepping to the side as a car sent s spray of dirty water in his direction.

Helen let out a shrill scream as another car came too close to her and almost hit her.

Dakota reached out and pulled her back, away from the road. "No one cares for others anymore. It's all about the fast cars rushing here and there, the worker trying to deed his family, no time to even BE with his family, and the corporate giants fighting it out for the last reserves of oil."

"What IS this?!" she yelped. "Wh-Where am I?! Where did you take me?!"

"You accidentally got caught in out time bubble," Dakota explained. "This is the future."

Helen stared at him. "Wh-What year...?"

"2090," Dakota answered plainly.

Helen froze. Then, slowly, she sank to the ground in a dead faint.

Dakota rushed forward to help her.

Then Cavendish arrived. "She saw it all, didn't she?" he asked with a sigh.

Dakota, who had just lifted Helen up, nodded.

Cavendish swore.

"Whoa, language," Dakota said.

Cavendish glared. "Can we take her back?"

"Um, not with our traveller," Dakota said. "It's outta juice."

Cavendish sighed, taking off his hat to rub his head. "So we're stuck with her."

"Basically, yeah."

"You know we've got nowhere to hide her, right?"

"Yeah."

They were both silent for a moment, until Dakota spoke again. "We could keep her in the pistachio mobile."

Cavendish just groaned and buried his face in his hands.

"Come on," Dakota urged. "It won't be so bad. We keep her entertained, keep her occupied, keep her busy; everything goes smoothly."

""Keep her entertained."!" repeated Cavendish in shock. "We don't have time to do that! And even if we did; how long would we have to do it for, HMM?"

Dakota shrugged. "As long as we have to."

"Months?! Years?! We can't keep it up for even a week, let alone THAT long!"

"Well, maybe we can ask for a new time travel device, and be back in her time by noon tomorrow."

Cavendish sighed in defeat. "Fine. Just…do whatever."

"You know, it's not THAT bad," Dakota pressed. "Maybe she can look after Lily."

"Her? Looking after OUR six-month-old? Yeah, right."

"Why not?" Dakota asked. "You're always working, and as for me, well…the couch can't sit by itself." He grinned.

"It's been "sitting" by itself perfectly well thus far."

"Look; maybe she can help us. Lily needs someone with experience."

Cavendish hesitated, his eyes falling on Helen's face. She…She was beautiful, and now that she was not intimidating or attacking him, he could appreciate it.

Dakota elbowed him, raising his eyebrows.

Cavendish blinked. "What?"

Dakota winked at him.

Cavendish scowled. "What?" he repeated, more annoyed this time.

"I think…" He shook his head, grinning. "Never mind."

Cavendish rolled his eyes. "Just get her out of here."

Dakota snickered as he picked her up.

"Shut up," muttered Cavendish, turning away.

Lifting Helen off of the ground, Dakota opened the doors to the back of the van and laid her inside. Helen stirred, her eyes opening and registering on Dakota. "Wh-Where…?"

"In the back of a van." Dakota explained.

Helen hissed softly. "Let me out."

"Can't," Dakota said simply. "You're kind of not supposed to be here."

"LET ME OUT!" Helens screamed in his ear.

Dakota winced. "Not so loud, miss!"

Helen glared at him. "Don't make me kick your privates too!"

Dakota put his hands up quickly. "Whoa. Please don't."

"Then let me out of this van!" Helen aimed a kick between Dakota's legs.

Dakota leapt back, narrowly avoiding her heeled foot. "Whoa! Easy now!"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY, THEN!" Helen screamed.

Dakota nodded and ducked aside. "All right, all right."

Helen struggled to her feet and got out of the van. She took in a deep breath.

Dakota looked her up and down, careful not to get in her way. "Hey…I didn't mean to cause any harm…"

"Please just leave me alone," Helen said, breathing rhythmically in and out. "It...It is a lot to take in."

"I understand," Dakota said quickly. "I'd be pretty scared too. But don't worry- Cavendish and I wouldn't hurt anyone."

Helen sighed. "S-So what's your name?"

"My name? I'm Dakota." He held out his hand.

"Dakota...don't you have a first name?"

"Oh yeah," Dakota smiled. "Vinnie. And you?"

Helen hesitated. "Helen Murphy."

"Murphy?!" Dakota froze.

Helen blinked in surprise. "Yes, that is correct."

"Murphy…" Dakota repeated, almost in a daze. "Murphy…"

"What's the matter with you?" demanded Helen.

Dakota sighed, rubbing his face. "Do you have the bad luck too?"

Helen frowned. "Excuse me?"

"You know…'Murphy's Law'…"

"Yes, that is the law my husband created," Helen said, crossing her arms. "So what?"

"Nothing..." Dakota managed to say.

 _I don't think Cavendish would like me giving TOO much away…_

"So you have heard of my husband's law, have you?" Helen made a face. "I can't believe people are still talking about it a hundred years in the future."

"Yes, well…it's kind of something…unavoidable."

"Oh, really?" Helen blinked. "How so?"

"Well…it's a long story…you had children, right?"

Helen nodded, her face melting slightly. "My son Richard and my daughter Nancy."

"Well, Richard's going to have kids, he'll have a son, and so on and so forth."

"Wh-What?!"

"It's a long story, but…oh look! Here comes Cavendish!"

"Ah, perfect." Helen narrowed her eyes. "I need to have a word with Mr Supper Dish."


	4. Chapter 4

"Cavendish," Cavendish muttered. He walked to the back of the van, his arms crossed.

"Hello, Mr Supper Dish," Helen snapped.

"CAVENDISH!" Cavendish snapped again.

"Tell me, Mr Cravendale, are there any suitable hotels in the area?"

"Cravendale-"

Dakota cleared his throat. "None nearby."

Helen sighed. "Oh, well. Do you have anywhere I can stay for a while, then, Mr Cravendale?"

"You can stay with us," Dakota offered with a smile.

"It might be fun."

Cavendish and Helen stared at each other in disgust. "Seriously?" Cavendish snapped.

"Why not?" Dakota shrugged. "We have the room."

Helen crossed her arms. "No. I refuse to move in with Cooperdink here."

"It's a nice room, and it's free." Dakota added.

Helen sighed. "Will I have to see Cooperdink every day?"

Cavendish bristled. "You're only staying for a night!"

"Oh, good!" Helen beamed. "Then I accept."

Dakota smiled at her, then Cavendish. "See? She can take my room, I'll sleep on the couch."

Cavendish glared at him. "YOU are responsible for this."

Helen raised an eyebrow. "Refer to me again as anything less than a human being, and I will personally see to it that you don't have any kids. Understand?"

Giving an annoyed sigh, Dakota got between them and pushed them apart. "Enough!"

Helen smirked. "He's just scared of me, aren't you?"

"No," Cavendish said indignantly. "I just don't take kindly to whiny women who think they can boss me around."

"I can, though," Helen said sweetly. "And I am certainly not "whiny". Would you like me to show you exactly why I am not?"

Dakota shrank back, a worried look in his eyes. "Uh-oh…"

Cavendish just scowled.

"I thought not," Helen said, smiling sweetly.

Dakota sighed. "Look; this is our offer. Take it or leave it."

"I did say I accepted, did I not?" Helen turned to Dakota, who automatically took a step back. "So where is my accommodation?"

Cavendish frowned at her. "Keep up that tone if you want to be charged."

"What tone?" Helen asked innocently. "And why on Earth would you CHARGE me?"

"I have legal right to." Cavendish sniffed.

"No you don't." Helen smirked. "I can tell when someone is bluffing so don't insult my intelligence."

Dakota sighed. He would never get these two inside.

Cavendish opened his mouth reprimand the woman, but was cut off by a baby's cries in the apartment building.

Helen inhaled sharply. "Is that yours?! Do you two have a BABY?!"

Dakota glared between them. "Yes, we do. The child of a friend. Now that you've woken her up, I hope you'll both calm down before worse happens." He turned his back to them and walked a relatively fast pace up the stairs and into the apartment.

Helen ran after him.

She found Dakota already with the baby in her room. He swayed back and for with her, whispering soothingly. But the baby would not stop crying, so Helen rushed forwards and gently took the baby from his arms, rocking it. Sensing a female presence, the little baby slowly began calming down.

Dakota stared at her. "How did you do that?"

"Simple: I'm a woman. This little darling knows I'm not its mother, but it can tell that I am closer to its mother than you are."

Dakota frowned for a moment, then his face lit up. "Ah now I get it! I always told Cavendish this little one needed a female in her life."

Helen smiled. "Girl or boy?"

"Oh, she's a girl. Her name's Lily."

Helen smiled. "She's beautiful. How old?"

"Six months," Dakota answered. "We've had her since the first day."

"Is she one of yours?"

Dakota shook his head. "She's the daughter of some friends of ours. We took her in when things got a little…complicated."

"Oh." Helen bit her lip.

"It's not easy, raising a kid. I never expected that responsibility." He paused, smirking. "I hate responsibility."

Helen didn't smile back.

Dakota's smile faded, and he awkwardly kicked at the carpeted floor. "That…doesn't mean I don't care. Normally it's Cavendish who takes care of her, since he's normally up all night with his projects, but I do a lot too. I try to, anyways."

"You need me," Helen said unexpectedly.

Dakota glanced up at her. "What?"

"You need me," repeated Helen. "Lily needs me."

Dakota nodded, understanding what Helen meant. "Now if you want to stay, you should try to get in Cavendish's good side. And believe me; that's hard."

Helen snorted. "I do not need to do that. If he cares about this child at all, HE will ask ME to stay."

"No…because he doesn't think we have a problem," Dakota explained.

Helen snorted again. "We will see about that."

"Are you sure?" Dakota asked. "He's not really the easiest to talk to."

"Let's ask him."

Dakota shook his head. "I don't think-"

Cavendish came into the room just then, spotting Helen holding Lily. He froze.

Helen smiled. "Hello, Mr Cavendish."

Cavendish would have yelled, but he was too afraid to wake Lily

"Your daughter is very cute," Helen said.

"She's my niece," Cavendish corrected.

"Oh, well, she is adorable." Helen smiled. "Anyway…" She handed Lily back to Cavendish, causing the baby to begin crying loudly.

Cavendish sighed. Helen had proven her point. "Do you…mind holding her again?"

Helen smiled again, this time a genuine smile. "I will."

"Maybe we should get something for dinner," Dakota suggested. The atmosphere was becoming just a bit too tense for him, and he was hungry.

Helen gently took Lily back from Cavendish, and within just a few seconds, the baby had calmed down and was cooing softly.

Helen grinned. "See? She likes me."

"And you clearly like her too, right?" Dakota asked, grinning.

Helen nodded. "Oh, why, yes-" She lifted Lily up, kissing her forehead. "I think I love her."

Cavendish scowled.

"Besides," Helen added, looking up at him. "You need me. Lily needs me."

"I don't need you." Cavendish sniffed.

"Lily does." Helen smirked. "Or would you like to hold her again?"

Dakota nudged Cavendish, nodding toward the hallway.

Cavendish frowned. "What are you on about?"

"I was thinking; might it be so bad, having her around?"

"You know the answer to that."

"No, really," Dakota jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at her. "She could look after Lily for us while we continue our missions."

Cavendish glared at him, mostly because he knew his friend was right. But he couldn't change his mind now.

"I'll make this easy for you. There-is-no-way-I-am-leaving-this-baby-in-the-hands-of-two-men-any-longer," she said, pausing in between each word in order to get her point across.

"Do you think we can't raise her on our own?" Cavendish sniffed. "I'll have you know that I-"

Helen interrupted him by placing Lily back in Cavendish's arms. This, once again, made baby Lily cry piercingly. "I think it's obvious," she said icily, taking the baby back. "That she likes me more." She smirked. "Or do you actually like hearing the piercing cries of a baby in your arms?"

With a defeated sigh, Cavendish threw his arms into the air and stomped out of the room.

Dakota sighed. "I guess you're staying, then."

Helen gently placed her forehead against Lily's. "Did you hear that, little one?" she murmured. "I'm staying right here with you."

Lily cooed, grasping her finger. Helen giggled and rocked Lily gently.


	5. Chapter 5

"Do you...want anything to eat?" Dakota asked.

Helen hesitated. "What is the food like in this era?"

"Not so bad. Mainly fast-food, as you can tell." Dakota grinned and patted his belly.

Helen sighed. "I guess I am a little hungry."

"We've got pizza, chicken, subs. What do you want?" Dakota asked.

"A cheese pizza, if you would be so kind," Helen sighed.

"Cheese pizza. Got it." Dakota grinned at her and left the room, picking up the phone in the kitchen.

Helen sighed again, kissing Lily on the forehead. Lily giggled, reaching up to grab her nose. Helen also giggled and gently removed Lily's little fingers from her nose. "Mr Dakota, do you have any-." She broke off, spotting a rattle on the floor. "Nevermind." She scooped up the little rattle and placed it in Lily's hands.

Lily shook it eagerly, giggling as she did so. She accidentally smacked Helen in the face with it. Lily giggled, unaware of what she had done and tried to swing at her again. Helen skilfully captured the rattle and shook it over Lily's head, causing the little girl to giggle again and reach for it.

"Can you get it?" Helen cooed, holding it a little higher.

Lily babbled and waved her little arms.

She reminded Helen of her own children, when they were young. She clearly remembered little Nancy swinging her own tiny arms as she attempted to grab something held just out of her reach.

Lily's giggle brought her attention back to the baby, who had managed to grasp the rattle and stick it in her mouth.

Helen laughed. "You are adorable."

There was a knock on the door.

Frowning, Helen hesitated. "Mr Dakota! There is someone at the door!"

"It's dinner!" Dakota said excitedly. He opened the door and greeted the delivery man with a friendly grin.

The man, who looked quite bored, simply nodded his thanks at the tip and left.

Helen frowned. "What…?"

Dakota lifted the box into the room, grinning. "The pizza we ordered."

"So fast…?"

"Yup. Ever since those hoverboards were invented, it arrives within a few minutes. If that."

"Hov-Hover…?!" Helen shook her head. "I don't want to know."

Dakota chuckled. "Hungry?"

"Yes."

"Come into the kitchen and we can eat."

"Alright."

The dining room was not that bad of a room. It was small, yes, but in a cosy sort of way. The floor was tile, and there was an antique wooden table in the centre.

"Cavendish won this at an auction a few months ago," Dakota explained, setting the steaming box of pizza onto the tabletop. "He's got an eye for these sort of things"

Helen stared at it. "It…really is beautiful. And a shame that the only food that is lain upon it is fast food."

"Yeah, well..." Dakota shrugged. "Cavendish can cook, but he's always too busy to make anything."

"Ooh, he can cook?" Helen hesitated, realising how quickly and eagerly she had spoken. "I-I mean..."

Dakota gave her a funny look, then nodded. "Yup. All sorts of gourmet dishes."

Helen raised her eyebrows. "He…doesn't seem the type."

"He doesn't seem the type for a lot of things." Dakota nodded in agreement, pulling out some paper plates for them to eat off of. "He seems really mean, but really, he's a big softy once you get to know him. He likes art, classical music, antiques. Sometimes he does crafts. He never sleeps, though."

"He should," Helen said. "Not sleeping is bad."

"I've told him." He sat across from Helen. "He doesn't listen to me."

"Maybe he will listen to me."

"If you could get him to listen, I'd be impressed." Dakota sighed. He chewed on the tip of the pizza.

Helen hesitated. "I should apologise to him, shouldn't I?"

"That would be wise," Dakota agreed.

Helen sighed. "I..."

"What?"

"I don't like apologising at the best of times."

Dakota shrugged, his mouth full of food. "Well, it would help."

"Ugh."

"She shouldn't bother apologizing to me," Cavendish said from the top of the stairs.

"Good because I wasn't going to!" Helen snapped up at him. "Stop eavesdropping!"

"I wasn't eavesdropping!" Cavendish snapped. "Can I not walk around my own home?"

"Nope."

"Well, fine, then."

Helen hesitated. "L-Look, I am sorry. F-For kicking you and insulting you."

Cavendish sighed. "It's...no big deal."

"It…It's just…a lot has happened to me today. I-I had my husband's funeral, and then I time-travelled a hundred years into the future. It's too much for me to comprehend, really."

"I...I understand," Cavendish said carefully.

Helen closed her eyes and lay her head on the table.

Cavendish cleared his throat. "Would you…care for some tea?"

Helen looked up in surprise. "Y-Y-Yes, please."

"Sugar or cream?" He asked over his shoulder, crossing to the stovetop.

"S-Sugar, please."

He opened the cabinet, pulling down a container of sugar.

Helen watched him uneasily.

Cavendish filled a kettle with water from the sink, then placed it on the stove.

"So," He began, keeping his eyes on the kettle. "I heard you were good with children."

"I have two of my own," Helen replied cautiously. "Richard and Nancy."

Cavendish nodded. "Cute. How old?"

"Richard is sixteen and Nancy is fourteen."

Cavendish sighed. "Fun ages."

"Y-Yes." Suddenly overcome with sadness, Helen stared down at her feet. "I-I am a horrible person..."

"No you aren't," Dakota protested, swallowing a mouthful of pizza.

"I am a horrible mother, at least."

"Why would you say something like that?"

"Wh-When Edward died…" Helen swallowed. "I t-turned to alcohol. I was deemed an unsuitable p-parent. My children…were t-taken away from me and given to Edward's sister to raise."

Both men froze.


	6. Chapter 6

Helen burst into tears and buried her head in her hands. "I c-couldn't help it…E-Edwards's d-death…c-caused me s-so much pain…"

"No one blames you," Dakota said quietly. "I'm sure they don't."

"B-But my k-kids…d-don't even know wh-why they were t-taken away from their p-parents…"

"I...know how you feel," Cavendish said unexpectedly. He set a cup of tea in front of her. "I...lost my only son to my ex-wife twenty years ago. She...brainwashed him, in a way. Taught him that I was a bad guy, taught him to fear me. To this day, he hates me, and I never so much as said hello to him."

Helen bit her lip. "O-Oh..."

Cavendish sighed.

"I'm…s-sorry…"

Cavendish shrugged. "It's okay. I've gotten over it."

"Are…you sure?"

Cavendish nodded. "Oh, yes—quite sure.."

"O-Okay..."

Dakota looked hard at his friend, able to see through that thin veil of happiness. He shook his head, but let it slide.

"I want new sheets on the bed," Helen said eventually.

"Not a problem. We have fresh sheets in the wash." Cavendish explained dismissively.

"Good." Helen bowed her head. "I...have no further objections."

"Then it's settled?" Dakota asked.

"Yes."

"Good!" Dakota shoved the box of pizza toward Cavendish. "Hungry?"

Cavendish sighed. "Not really."

Dakota frowned at him. "Cavendish…you haven't been eating much lately. I'm kinda worried about you."

"You don't have to be, Dakota. I'm fine."

"Well…I do," Dakota admitted.

"I'm fine," repeated Cavendish, turning to head back upstairs.

Dakota stood. "Balthazar."

Cavendish stared at him. "You never call me by my first name."

"Your first name is Balthazar?" Helen frowned. "I like it."

Dakota ignored Helen's comment, and continued to stare at his friend. "I will if it gets your attention."

Cavendish shook his head and turned away. "I have things to do." He started up the stairs.

"No." Dakota moved in front of him, blocking the stairs. "I am sick and tired of you ignoring me all the time! Sit down and listen for once!"

Cavendish scowled. "No. Get out of my way."

"No. Cavendish, you haven't been yourself recently. All you do is sit up there in your room for hours doing this and that. It's not healthy! And that's coming from a man who sits on the couch most of the day!"

"I am trying to come up with plans to protect the pistachios so that Murphy kid doesn't destroy them anymore!"

Helen stood up sharply. "Murphy?"

"Shhhh!" Dakota hissed sharply.

"What do you mean?" demanded Helen.

"Nothing!" Dakota said quickly.

"You said the name Murphy!" Helen directly addressed Cavendish. "Who are you talking about?"

"Milo Murphy," Cavendish said stiffly.

"Milo…Murphy?"

Cavendish nodded. "Yes."

Helen blinked. "Is he an enemy of yours?"

"Of sorts..." Dakota muttered.

"What does that mean?"

"He's…more of a nuisance-"

"He's a catastrophe waiting to happen!" Cavendish snorted.

Helen flinched. "What…time period does he live in? This one?"

Dakota shook his head. "No no, he lives in 2017."

"That's…not long after my husband died…" Helen thought for a moment. "He isn't...related to me, is he?"

Cavendish shrugged. "He might be. Why?"

"I...don't know..."

"He's just a kid," Dakota insisted.

"Then why is he an enemy of yours?" demanded Helen.

"He's got the worst luck you could imagine." Cavendish explained. "He's a menace to civilization."

"Oh."

Helen suddenly blinked. _Murphy's Law…anything that can go wrong will go wrong…it-it can't be!_

"But he's not in this time period, so we should be fine," Cavendish added.

"M-My husband's law..." Helen hesitated. "I-Is it real?"

"I don't know," Cavendish sighed in frustration. He didn't seem to know what Helen was talking about.

Helen scowled. "Look, I'm pretty sure that boy Milo is related to me so you had better explain why he has such bad luck."

Dakota gasped. "Related to you!?"

"My name is Helen Murphy. I am the widow of the late Edward Murphy, who came up with the law stating "anything that can go wrong will go wrong"."

"And, you said you had children, right?" Cavendish asked curiously, sitting down at the table.

"Yes. A boy and a girl."

Dakota thought to himself, _the boy must have had children- most likely a son._

Helen scowled. "I want to meet Milo."

Cavendish shook his head. "Not a good idea. Even if he wasn't bad luck, if it's true you're family, then it might be too dangerous."

"I-I want to meet him for myself."

"Maybe it wouldn't hurt," Dakota suggested.

"I want to at least see him," pleaded Helen.

Dakota looked to Cavendish for an answer. "Well?"

"Please?" Helen contributed.

Cavendish shook his head. "No. It's too dangerous..."

Helen hung her head in disappointment, real tears pricking her eyelids. "I-I understand."

Cavendish turned away quickly before his mind could be changed. "You can rest whenever you're ready. Breakfast won't be much, but you're welcome to cook something up if you want."

Helen sniffled. "O-Okay."

Cavendish disappeared back upstairs.

Dakota sighed. "I'm sorry. He's usually not like this."

Helen shrugged helplessly. "It...It's fine."

"No, it isn't," Dakota sighed.

Helen shut her mouth.

"Maybe..." Dakota paused, shaking his head. "No, that wouldn't be a good idea."

Helen did not rise to the bait. Instead, she just glared at Dakota.

Dakota had a thoughtful look on his face, scratching his chin. "I might be able to sneak into Cavendish's room and get that backup time device..."

Helen snorted. "That'll make him LOVE us."

"He doesn't have to know." Dakota smiled mischievously. "I can take you to see Milo, then bring you back without him even knowing."

Helen hesitated. "R-Really?"

"Of course!" Dakota was grinning now. "We'll back before he even realizes we're gone!"

Helen smirked. "Let's do it."


	7. Chapter 7

"Great. Okay, first, Lily's asleep, so you can lay her back down. Make the bed look like there's someone in it. I'll do the same for the couch bed. Meet in here in a few minutes."

Helen nodded. "I will."

"Good. I'll get the time device."

"I'll lay Lily down."

Dakota nodded silently, slinking up the stairs to Cavendish's room.

Helen gently took up Lily and headed upstairs too.

Dakota checked to make sure that Cavendish was entertained. He could hear him washing his hands in the bathroom. Perfect. He darted in, grabbed the device, raced out, and just about managed to dart down the stairs before he heard the door open.

Cavendish paused. He could have sworn he heard something…

 _No. It was probably nothing._

Dakota grinned at Helen. "Are we ready?"

Helen nodded. "Yes. Lily is asleep in her cradle."

Dakota rubbed his hands together in a joking way. "Excellent. Are we ready?"

Helen smirked. "Yes."

"Right, Helen, hold very still; don't want you falling out of the time bubble."

Helen nodded and stayed close to Dakota.

"Ready?" Dakota asked with a beaming smile.

"Ready."

Pressing the big red button on the time device, Dakota smiled, and they were consumed by a white bubble.

Helen stumbled again as she landed on her feet.

"Welcome to 2017." Dakota said with a grin. "Corruption, wars, and lots of other stuff I won't get into. But there's a lot of good here, too. Like, there!" He pointed out a group of young children skipping down the sidewalk, their mother following them. "Mrs. Lins and her children. She walks them to school every day, rain or shine."

"Awww," cooed Helen, beaming.

"And over there, Old Mr. Dokil is being visited by his next door neighbour's son, who comes every Friday to mow his lawn and listen to him talk about the good old days." Dakota pointed at an older gentleman in his eighties speaking to a young man of about twenty.

"2017 sounds a lot better than 2090," commented Helen dryly.

Dakota sighed. "You're not wrong."

"So where is my descendant?"

"He should be right-"

He was cut off by an explosion.

Helen screamed.

"Oh yeah- he's coming."

"D-Dakota," croaked Helen.

Dakota spun round to find a sharp shard of metal sticking out from Helen's side.

Dakota's eyes widened. "Oh-!"

There was a large bloodied wound on her forehead, and a metal pipe lying on the ground next to them. A shard was missing from it. Clearly, it was the shard in Helen's side.

Dakota stared at her with a gaping mouth, then at the burning building behind them.

Then Helen's knees buckled, and she sagged.

"Helen!" Dakota caught her before she could hit the ground. He turned to call for help, but saw Milo and his friends walking down the street. He gritted his teeth.

He knew they had to go—and quickly.

Before he could do anything, he heard a creaking sound and looked up. To his horror, he saw an advertisement sign leaning as if it was about to fall right on top of them. He hurriedly took out the time travel device and activated it.

The bubble surrounded them, but not before Dakota felt the sign hit his shoulder, jarring the bone. Helen let out another scream, one that was still sounding when they arrived back in their original time. She and Dakota fell on the floor in the living room, both hurting from the incident.

Cavendish appeared from the stairs. "What is going-?!" He broke off when he saw the blood on the floor.

Dakota groaned, pushing himself to his hands and knees and ignoring the pain in his shoulder. "Helen-!"

"Helen!" yelled Cavendish, rushing down the stairs.

"Milo…" Dakota croaked, helping lift Helen off of the floor.

"What the hell-?!" Cavendish glared at Dakota. "You took her back to 2017?!"

"I-I-"

Ignoring the fact that Dakota was hurt, Cavendish's glare intensified. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO!"

"I-I m-made him," croaked Helen. "D-Don't be m-mad a-at him…"

Dakota bowed his head. "I-I know-"

"P-Please don't be m-mad at him!" Helen begged. "It w-was m-my fault."

Cavendish ignored her, glaring hard at Dakota. "I told you not to..."

"It's not his-!" Helen broke off with a cry of pain.

"J-Just take her somewhere," Dakota said.

Helen let out one more soft cry, before falling back. Cavendish lifted her off the floor, holding her close as he carried her up the stairs. Dakota watched him go, hating himself.

Cavendish laid her gently in the bed, then began to look her over.

She was unconscious by now, but still breathing.

Cavendish groaned aloud. He was not a doctor. But he did know how to stop bleeding, and vaguely knew how to stitch up a wound. He could do that. First, he removed the metal from the wound.

Helen screamed, jerking awake, as the shard slid free.

"Stay still!" Cavendish snapped.

"YOU TRY STAYING STILL WHEN A SHARD OF METAL IS PULLED OUT OF YOUR SIDE!" screamed Helen.

"Do you want to live or not?!" Cavendish yelled.

Helen didn't say anything else, but she did begin crying.

Cavendish began to stitch her wound, shushing her cries. "Hold still, and I'll finish quicker."

"I'm...t-t-t-trying..."

"Try harder for me," Cavendish said softly.

Helen tried for a smirk but failed. "Why...is that...more motivation?"

Despite the situation, Cavendish managed a smirk. "Well, I'm the one saving your life."

Helen hummed. "That's true."

When Cavendish had was finished, he looked at the wound on her forehead. "What exactly happened, then?"

"There was an explosion," recalled Helen. "I...don't remember much about it."

"I told you not to go, didn't I?"

"I-I know," Helen whispered. "I...I didn't know...it would...b-be like that..."

"You could have been killed." Cavendish sighed. "I don't know what you two were thinking."

Helen scowled. "I don't answer to you."

"As long as you live under this roof, you do."

Helen's scowl turned into a glare. "No, I don't."

"Yes, I'm afraid you do." Cavendish insisted. "Because here, you need to know what's dangerous and what's not."

"I do know."

"Apparently not," Cavendish muttered bitterly. "You should never have done what you did."

"Then just leave me to bleed out, already!" snapped Helen. "You clearly hate me!"

Cavendish froze. "What...?"

Helen tried and failed not to cry. "Ever since we met, you've been telling me what to do and being nasty to me! I know I have insulted and attacked you too, but I am trying to make an effort! J-Just stop...!" She dissolved into tears.

Cavendish stared at her. "Helen...I never meant..."

"I-I don't know if this is what you are like all the time, but..." Helen cleared her throat. "...but I-I feel anxious whenever I am around you. I keep feeling like you're going to tell me off or stop me from doing something or yell at me."

"I..." Cavendish bowed his head. She was right. He had been needlessly rude. "Helen, I'm sorry."

Helen just shook her head helplessly. "Just...leave me to bleed out. I have nobody in this world. My husband is dead, my children have been taken from me..."

"No." Cavendish shook his head. "You are still needed."

"By whom?" asked Helen miserably.

"Well..." Cavendish was distracted by coos coming from Lily's crib. Biting his lip, he went over to the cradle. Lily looked up at him, chewing on her hand. His shoulders sagged.

"Balthazar...?" came Helen's weak voice.

"Yes?" He whispered quietly.

Helen desperately wanted to ask whose Lily was, but instead, she said, "Is Lily from this time period?"

"Yes." Cavendish answered quietly.

Helen nodded slowly and fell silent.

"She...needed someone who could keep her safe from certain people."

"Oh." Helen blinked. "Who?"

"Well...she..." Cavendish hesitated. Helen already knew about Milo… Was it wise to tell her about another future family member?

"You...don't have to tell me," Helen said quickly.

"She's...a descendant of yours."

"Oh..." Helen bit her lip. "A-Ah..."

Cavendish sighed. "Lily was born with...powers, you could say. Too dangerous to be with people who could not train her. And...she needed to be away from people who might use her to do terrible things."

"Powers...?!"

Cavendish nodded, picking up the baby.

"W-Wow..." Helen hesitated.

"It's...a lot to take in, I know," Cavendish said quietly.

"You can say that again..."

"But it's the truth."

"I do believe you."

Cavendish slowly turned to face her. "You...do?"

Helen nodded. "I have no reason not to."

"Then...you understand, then?"

"I..." Helen hesitated. "I understand that such powers must be kept in safe hands."

Cavendish nodded. "And...from what I saw earlier...I think you might be best person to raise her."

Helen's eyes widened. "What...?"

Cavendish looked at her with pleading eyes. "Will you?"

"I-I...I..." Helen bit her lip. "I will."

"We'll pay for anything you need," Cavendish promised. "We'll ask for no rent."

"I-I can't ask that..."

"Really, you can stay." Cavendish managed a shy smile. "I...I want you to stay."

Helen hesitated. "You...do?"

Cavendish nodded awkwardly. "I...do."

"Why...?"

"I just...er..." Cavendish shrugged helplessly.

Helen laughed softly. "You don't LIKE me, do you?"

Cavendish hesitated. "Well...you are a...um...a rather handsome woman..."

Helen giggled. "Handsome? You can do better than that."

"You're...beautiful."

Helen blushed and shut her mouth, speechless.

"I-I mean- in a purely professional way, but-"

"Professional?" Helen giggled weakly. "Sure."

"Really." Cavendish urged.

Helen just giggled again.

"Well I mean...yeah." He sighed.

"You are not bad-looking yourself," Helen said.

Cavendish blushed. "Really? Even the mustache?"

Helen shrugged. "You look like a gentleman."

"Thank you..." Cavendish said awkwardly.

"Even though you don't behave like one," Helen chuckled.

Cavendish smirked. "Thank you..."

Helen exhaled deeply. "I...I think I need to rest."

"Yes...you do that. Do you mind...Lily resting with you?"

Helen shook her head. "No, not at all."

"Thanks."

Cavendish laid the baby in her arms. Lily cooed up at Helen.

Helen chuckled. "Will you take another nap, little one?"

As if replying, Lily yawned.

Helen smirked, wincing as she rolled herself to her side, wrapping the baby in the crook of her arm. Within a few seconds, Lily was peacefully sleeping.


	8. Chapter 8

With the two of them safe in their bed, Cavendish went back downstairs. He noticed his steps were a lot lighter, and his heart was fluttering

What was happening to him? Was it love? Was it just wishful thinking? Whatever it was, he loved the feeling.

Did Helen cause this feeling?

It must have been her.

He was so focused on these feelings that he failed to notice Dakota sitting on the couch, tenderly cradling his swollen shoulder.

"Hey," Dakota said eventually.

Cavendish glanced at him, now finally noticing him. He forced a steely expression on his face. "That was very dangerous, what you did."

Dakota scowled. "I know. Do you really think I you have to tell me that now?"

"Yes, so you can understand in the future."

Dakota ignored him.

"What happened, exactly?" Cavendish demanded.

"Explosion."

"Milo?" Cavendish asked carefully.

"Probably."

Cavendish sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "How's your shoulder?"

"Sore."

"Do you...want me to take you to the emergency room?"

"Don't trouble yourself."

"It won't be any trouble," Cavendish said quietly. "I...want to help."

Dakota scowled. "Sure you do."

Cavendish frowned. "Dakota, don't tell me you're mad because I yelled at you,"

"No, I'm mad because of the way you treat me, the way you treat Helen, and the way you treat yourself."

"What do you mean?" Cavendish asked with a frown.

"I've already explained."

"I don't treat you poorly," Cavendish claimed. "And Helen and I are fine."

Dakota raised an eyebrow.

Cavendish frowned at him. "What?"

"Will Helen tell me the same thing?"

Cavendish nodded. "Yes...we talked..."

Dakota slowly grinned. "I get it."

Cavendish stiffened. "Get what?"

"You've confessed your undying love for each other, haven't you?"

"Undying...?" Cavendish's eyes widened. "Oh, no!"

Dakota blinked. "Uh...Cavendish...?"

"What?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Cavendish frowned. "What makes you think something might be wrong?"

"Just..." Dakota shrugged. "The way you reacted."

Cavendish shook his head. "It's nothing, Dakota...Helen's staying here."

"I know." Dakota smirked. "So you DID declare your love for each other, then?"

"Love?" Cavendish shook his head. "I just said she was beautiful."

Dakota let out a laugh.

Cavendish could feel himself blushing. He glared at Dakota. "You can't fall in love with someone you just met."

Dakota shrugged. "It's possible."

This prompted a smirk from Cavendish, who leaned forward and whispered, "Jennifer Lawrence..."

Dakota scowled. "Just tell her how you feel, already."

Cavendish huffed. "Later."

"So you admit you DO feel something for her?"

"Of course I do!" Cavendish snapped.

Dakota stared at him. "You...really do?"

"Yes..."

"Cavendish...that's awesome!" Dakota grinned.

"It...is?" Cavendish asked curiously, lifting his gaze.

"Of course!" Dakota patted his friend's back. "Love ain't something that comes round very often. If she feels the same, you should go for it!"

"But...it would be improper for me to-" Cavendish broke off. "Sh-She only just lost her husband..."

"Then you don't have to do anything now," shrugged Dakota. "Just...see where it takes you."

"See where it...takes me?" Cavendish sounded confused.

"Yeah. Go along for the ride. Spend more time with her and see if anything happens."

"But..." Cavendish sighed, sitting down on the empty side of the couch. "I-I haven't been in love since..."

"I know. And that's the way to kick her butt. Show her you can move on."

"But...what about...?"

"Don't think about that-." He broke off before he said a bad word. "Don't think about her. If you like Helen a lot, go for it."

"No, not her..." Cavendish hesitated. "My son."

"Oh." Dakota hesitated. "Look, I know he's your son, but...honestly, he's as good as dead to you."

"I know...but to start all over again...so late in my life..."

"Helen is not young either," reminded Dakota. "She told me earlier; she's 32."

Cavendish scowled. "Thirties is NOT old."

"It's not really young either."

"Alright Mister In-My-Twenties," Cavendish teased with mock irritation. "Mister My-Knees-Never-Ache, you tell me what old is?"

"I dunno. I'd only really call sixty and over "old"."

Cavendish smirked, shaking his head. "You have no idea."

"Why, are you old?"

"I feel old.'

Dakota laughed. "You're not old."

Cavendish gave him a look that said _yeah, right_ , and smirked. "And you're not young."

"I'm not THAT young."

Cavendish chuckled. "Now, about that shoulder..."

Dakota winced.

"You need to get that looked at."

"Y-Yeah..."

"Do you want me to take you?" Cavendish offered.

Dakota just sighed.

"Yes, you do," Cavendish said after a while. "Get in the van"

"Fine."

Cavendish smiled. "Let me just tell Helen."

"Okay."

Helen was lying almost asleep, when she heard a knock on the door.

"Mmmm?" she called softly.

"I'm going to take Dakota to the emergency room," Cavendish explained.

"Okay," Helen called back sleepily.

"Cavendish walked back down the stairs. "Are you ready to go?"

Dakota groaned in pain. "I was ready, like, half an hour ago."

"Then you should have said something," Cavendish scolded.

"Sorry, I was too busy either listening to you telling me off or being alone while you cosied up to Helen," Dakota countered.

Cavendish winced. 'Hey, no hard feelings."

Dakota tried to laugh, but his shoulder flared up in pain. "Yeah, no hard feelings."

Cavendish got into the van, waiting patiently for his friend.

"Come on, then."

"I'm coming."

…

Helen shifted in her sleep, feeling the little baby next to her. Lily gave a small cry, swinging her little arms. Helen woke with a start, blinking. For a moment, her hazy eyes saw Lily as her daughter, Nancy.

Lily began to wail.

"Oh, shhhh…shh." Helen picked Lily up and cradled her in her arms, rocking her gently.

Lily, who had not eaten since that night, began to cry louder. Helen bit her lip. "I had Nancy over ten years ago. I-I don't know if I can feed you, little one."

If Lily could talk, she would have said that Cavendish kept her formula in the pantry in the kitchen. Instead, she just cried louder.

Helen winced. Like all mothers, she absolutely hated hearing a baby crying when it needed something that she couldn't provide. She quickly got up, wincing in pain, and hurried down to the kitchen to see if she could find anything there.

Lily kept bawling, now kicking her little feet.

After about ten minutes of searching, Helen finally found a pre-prepared bottle of milk. Lily saw it and immediately began to quiet, anticipating the food.

Helen smiled, finally sensing peace, and began to feed Lily. Lily drank eagerly, sucking the formula down hungrily. Helen felt her heart twist at this familiar sight. _Nancy…_

Lily, content with her milk, stared up at Helen with curious blue eyes.

"Hello!" Helen beamed.

Lily opened her mouth in a smile, milk dribbling down her chin.

Helen giggled and wiped it away with a towel. Lily laughed. Content, she began to fall asleep.


End file.
